Thursday, September 18, 2014

Nigeria: Stop Torture of Mahmood and 50 Other People Deadline ASAP

Nigeria: Stop Torture of Mahmood and 50 Other People  Deadline ASAP
Fifteen-year-old Mahmood was arrested by the army, along with 50 other people – predominantly boys aged between 13 and 19. He was taken to the Sector Alpha military facility and tortured for three weeks. He had no contact with the outside world – including his family and lawyers. Soldiers made him walk and roll over broken bottles and watch other detainees being extra-judicially executed. Mahmood is just one of thousands of people tortured at the hands of the Nigerian police and military. The reliance on ‘confessions’ together with a corruption-riddled justice system provides the ideal setting. In fact, torture isn’t even a criminal offense in Nigeria. Click here to call on Nigerian authorities to stop torture at all detention centers, release detainees or charge them with an internationally recognized crime and allow them access to families, lawyers and medical care.